8/6/2019 FACS Credit Line

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/facs-credit-line 1/2

email: info@fortfrances.com ISSN 0834-6283 PAP No. 07429www.fortfrances.com

A N D   R A I N Y   L A K E   H E R A L D

Fort Frances TimesFort Frances TimesWEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009$1.19 plus 6¢ GST, $1.25 U.S. Printed in Canada  Volume 116 Number 32

INSIDE

After reading books about   helping others and giving tothose in need, students in HueEldridge’s Grade 2/3 at Robert Moore School here decided theywanted to make a difference fora local family this holiday season  by sponsoring one through theSalvation Army.

Class learnsall about giving

It may have been the changein the weather or perhaps thesudden realization that Christ-mas is almost here.

Whatever the reason, peoplefrom across the district turnedout in great numbers last Friday

and Saturday to celebrate theannual “Holly Daze” festivities inEmo.

‘Holly Daze’deemed success

The Fort Frances Thunder-  hawks can’t seem to wake upand smell the coffee waftingthrough the air.

Perhaps an industrial strengthfan blasting the aroma of caf-feine into their dressing roomwould do the trick.

The T’hawks have been  plagued by slow starts in theirthree games so far this season.

T’Hawks plaguedby slow starts

See story on C1

See story on A2

See story on B1

290 Scott St. Fort Frances • 274-6671

MobilityTime Plans

starting from

$1995

Blackberry, Samsung, Motorola, Kycera...

Choose your phone - Choose your plan.

Many available FREE* *With two months free access.

Go“Hands Free” with aBluetooth Headset! The largest selection

in the district.

Chinese Restaurant216 Scott St. Fort Frances 274-3722

Excellent Chinese & Canadian Cuisine

Open 7 days a week • 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.Pick up orders 10% Off • FREE DELIVERY

Some restrictions apply • VISA • Mastercard • Interac • American Express • REGULAR MENU,TAKE OUT & DELIVERY AVAILABLESome restrictions apply • VISA • Mastercard • Interac • American Express • REGULAR MENU, TAKE OUT & DELIVERY AVAILABLE

 All you can eat  

BUFFET Served Mon. - Sat.

Lunch 11 - 2 ...$

799

Dinner 4 - 8 ...$999

Children ...$599

Seniors 10% Off 

FACS turns to credit line for financesBy Peggy RevellStaff writer

Facing a $604,000 deficit, Fam-ily & Children’s Services of theDistrict of Rainy River has had totap into its $450,000 line of credit as it struggles to make it to the endof its financial year.

The decision to access this lineof credit came after a “lengthydiscussion” by the board of direc-tors, explained its president, Bob

McGreevy.“We have a line of credit that 

we use for normal business trans-actions because cash is alwayscoming and going, but we’ve neverused our line of credit to actually  pay foster parents or pay salariesor to pay rent,” he noted.

“At the ministry’s request, we  have decided we would use ourline of credit so that we couldcontinue to operate as long as wecould, so we have gone ahead and

done that.”The impact of using this line of 

credit means the agency now is  borrowing from the bank, whichmeans it will have to find a wayto pay the money back, along withinterest payments “which we don’t want,” McGreevy said.

As first reported by the Fort Frances Times earlier this fall, the$604,000 deficit arose due toseveral reasons, including declin-ing provincial revenue and fund-

ing, ministry-imposed caps on “in-frastructure” which affect smalleragencies, and because this yearFACS has in their care childrenwho require “expensive, intensivecare in an institution,” according toMcGreevy.

FACS currently is waiting for aresponse from the Ministry of Chil-dren and Youth Services after filinga “Section 14” appeal, McGreevynoted.

This appeals process is one where

an agency can make its case to theministry for funding adjustmentsif it feels it is operating under“extraordinary circumstances” andisn’t being funded, he explained.

“We went through that processin the beginning of November,and we hope to hear a responsewithin a week or two of the most,”McGreevy said, adding this appeal  process might mean enough mon-ey from the ministry for FACS to

Ten-month-old Erick Burns seemed to enjoyvisiting with jolly St. Nick during the annual“Cookies and Cocoa with Santa” event Sat-urday at the Fort Frances Museum. Childrennot only were able to visit with Santa and

Mrs. Claus but also took part in stringing pop-corn, decorating treats, and playing games toget into the Christmas spirit.

—Heather Latter photo

On Santa’s knee

Council eyeing

2% hike formost user feesBy Duane HicksStaff writer

While the 2010 user fee sched-ule will not be voted on until aDec. 21 meeting, town councilagreed Monday that most user feeslikely will see a two percent jump.

The two percent hike affects400-plus services provided by thetown, ranging from building per-mits and marriage licences to taxicab licences and public hall rent-als.

Treasurer Laurie Witherspoonexplained the two percent increase

is based on the Consumer PriceIndex, which increased 1.8 percent  between October, 2008 and Octo- ber, 2009.

“I think a two percent raise acrossthe board is reasonable and logi-cal,” said Coun. Andrew Hallikas,adding that while user fees onlymake up a small amount of corpo-rate revenue (three-five percent),they are a “fairer form of taxation”than property tax increases.

He noted that by keeping upwith the CPI, the town isn’t devalu-ating its services.

If the town didn’t raise user feesfrom time to time, they’d “get be- hind the eight ball,” he argued.

Coun. Sharon Tibbs agreed tothe two percent, as did Coun. PaulRyan, who said the two percent increase “is probably the thing todo” and it does fall in line with theCPI.

Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft alsosaid he agreed with the two per-cent hike, especially if it means not  having to cut services and keepingdown a general tax increase.

Coun. John Albanese said hedidn’t see why taxpayers had to be punished with higher user fees, but that if they have to be increased,two percent is the upper limit.

Coun. Ken Perry said two per-cent was okay, but nothing abovethat.

Mayor Roy Avis said user fee in-creases should be two percent “forall fees.”

If the new schedule becomes a  bylaw, most user fees will kick in  Jan. 1 although some others, suchas those for the Memorial SportsCentre, won’t come into effect un-til June 1 because ice rental fees,for example, already have beencontracted out for the 2009-10 hockey season.

But user fees that currently in-clude the GST (such as ice sur-face and pool rentals, auditoriumrentals, boat slips, cemetery-relatedfees, airport fuel, etc.) will go upanother eight percent come July 1when the new HST is implement-ed.

If a user fee does not currentlyinclude the GST, it will not havethe HST added to it, noted Wither-spoon.

For example, an annual pool/fitness centre membership for an

By Duane HicksStaff writer

With the 2010 election comingup in October, the next term formayor and council likely will seethem get better pay than the cur-rent one.

This and other details werediscussed last Thursday morningwhen the remuneration and travel policy committee met to review anupdated policy for both town staff and members of council.

The proposal includes an in-crease to remuneration to the posi-

tions of mayor and council which,if approved, will come into effect Dec. 1, 2010 to coincide with theinstallation of the 2010-14 council.

The draft policy recommends the position of mayor be paid $23,000 per year, instead of $22,322 as it is now, while councillor remunera-tion will increase to $12,000 from$10,507.

The deputy mayor also willsee an increase from $10,507 to$13,500.

The committee pointed out theincrease to pay is small, addingthe last time the salary structure

was revised was in 2003, at whichtime the pay for mayor and councilactually went down when the ben-efits package they used to receivewas cut—reducing total salaries byabout $4,000.

The benefits package continuesto be offered as an option councilmembers can buy into at their ownexpense if they so choose.

For example, the change in themayor’s salary only represents athree percent increase over seven years (2003-10) while the pay hikefor councillors only amounts to a

Pay raise likely for next council

By Heather LatterStaff writer

Despite the struggling economythis holiday season, along with thelure of “big city” shopping and theconvenience of online buying, it seems many residents are mak-ing their Christmas purchases right  here at home and supporting local businesses.

Although it’s difficult to gauge  just how much local shopping hastaken place so far this year, busi-ness owners are pleased with thetraffic and sales in their stores.

And people only have to lookdown Scott Street to see the hustleand bustle of busy shoppers.

“We’ve been having lots of peo-  ple in the store,” noted RichardBoileau of McTaggarts. “We’ve seenlots of new faces in this year, too.

“And lots of people are tellingus that they want to support local jobs.

“Being that jobs are tough this  year, everyone knows the morethey shop at home, the more they help local jobs,” Boileau added.

“Seems like the weather has got   people rolling—a little bit of snowdoes wonders,” enthused Ken Man-ty at Howarth’s Home Centre. “It’s been pretty steady. . . .

“In comparison to last year, Iwould say there’s probably morelocal shopping going on,” Mantyadded.

Boileau noted some of the hot items this season at McTaggarts arechildren’s animal hats and holidaydresses for youngsters. But jeans, hoodies, and purses also have beenselling well.

Meanwhile, Manty said flat-paneltelevisions, along with Blu-ray andDVD players, are popular elec-tronic gifts this year.

Over at Northwoods Gallery &Gifts, Connie Cuthbertson notedcandles and handbags as some of the season’s hot sellers.

“I would say [the local shopping] has been about average for us, but average these days is way ahead of the curve, I guess,” she remarked.

“The people that are coming inthe store are thrilled to see all thedifferent items we have here . . .and we’re just doing our best tooffer as much as possible.

“All we ask is you just give us achance,” she added.

Cuthbertson said she’s had callsfrom Thunder Bay and Winnipegto ship products because they can’t get them in the city.

“It’s kind of ironic that people

Retailers pleased with local shopping 

Please see “FACS,” A5

Please see “Council,” A5

Please see “Retailers,” A5 Please see “Pay,” A5

8/6/2019 FACS Credit Line

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/facs-credit-line 2/2

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 FORT FRANCES TIMES A5

FACS turnsto credit linefor finances

More from A1

make it to March 31, which marksthe end of its fiscal year.

“Right now, our cash flow projec-tions indicate we should be ableto continue to operate to the endof February to the first week of March,” he indicated. “And afterthat, I’m not sure what we’ll do if we haven’t been given any extrasupport.”

Because the ministry was theone to request that FACS use aline of credit, McGreevy reasonedthat by following their request, theFACS board hopes the ministrywill be more willing to give themadditional funding support follow-ing the Section 14 appeal.

“Which they may or may not do—we took a chance,” he admit-ted.

In the meantime, FACS has beenimplementing various cost-savingmeasures.

“We’re trying very hard tostretch all of our dollars, and tocontinue to provide service forfamilies and kids who need help

and need support and need protec-tion,” McGreevy stressed.“That’s the key for us.”Looking for “all kinds of way to

save money,” cutbacks at FACSso far include a “no-travel” restric-tion on staff and no non-essentialtraining, said McGreevy, notingthere are several positions at FACSwhich have become vacant and not filled.

“We haven’t laid off any of ourchild protection staff because ourstaffing levels are already so smallthat we felt, as a board, that wewould be compromising our obli-gations to guarantee protection if we laid off child protection staff,” he explained.

“So we haven’t done that, andI don’t see us doing that, but it’sstill going to be a cash crunch aswe get to March of next year,” hewarned.

Across Ontario, 49 Children’sAid Societies are facing an overallfunding shortfall of $67 million, ac-

cording to the Ontario Associationof Children’s Aid Societies, whichalso noted agencies in NorthernOntario have “received some of the largest cutbacks” and are fac-ing a collective shortfall of $16.9million.

More than three dozen Children’sAid Societies, including FACS, havefiled for Section 14 reviews, andmany already have been makingcutbacks to staffing and programs.

The Children’s Aid Society inYork Region, for instance, laid off 18 workers while the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society hascut certain programs and will belaying off 12 people in February.

Having already cut 7.5 staff posi-tions, the Peel Children’s Aid Soci-ety estimated it will have to cut 24more to eliminate its 2.1-milliondeficit.

Along with reviewing these Sec-tion 14 appeals, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services an-nounced the formation of “TheCommission to Promote Sustain-able Child Welfare” back in June

to work “in partnership with Chil-dren’s Aid Societies and the gov-ernment to find the most efficient ways to improve outcomes forchildren and youth in care.”

Appointments of who would sit on the commission were madein November, with Ene Under-wood, Barry Lewis, and Dr. WendyThomson selected.

But both NDP and Conserva-tive MPPs have continued to slamthe Ontario government’s actionsduring question period at Queen’sPark when it comes to the fundingof Children’s Aid Societies acrossthe province.

“The children of this provincedo not need another commission,”argued Ontario NDP leader An-drea Horwath. “They need theirChildren’s Aid Societies to be therefor them when they need them.

“The only pathway this govern-ment is preparing is a pathway to  bankruptcy and closure of Chil-dren’s Aid Societies,” she charged.

The Muskie girls’ exhibition game against the InternationalFalls Broncos here last night had to be halted while playerscollected teddy bears chucked onto the ice by fans. The plush toys came raining down from the stands after Danielle  Jean’s goal as part of the team’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss”

for the local Salvation Army. Unfortunately for the black-and-gold, it was all the only offence they could muster indropping a 2-1 decision to the visitors.

—Dan Falloon photo

‘Bear-y’ generous fans

New health services plan for northwest unveiledPress release

The North West Local HealthIntegration Network (LHIN) hasa new Integrated Health ServicesPlan, which identifies the prioritiesfor health system improvementsin Northwestern Ontario over thenext three years (2010-13) and the

 plans to address them.The IHSP, released Nov. 30,

  builds on the findings and prog-ress made on the priorities in theLHIN’s plan for 2007-10.

The plan was developed usingthe information gathered throughsignificant engagement and discus-sion with local health-care pro-viders, communities, health-careworkers, and the public throughout the region.

The priorities in the new IHSPare focused in three primary ar-eas: access to and integration of services, enablers, and people of Northwestern Ontario.

The priorities include, by focusarea:

1. Access to and integration of services

•Department wait times and al-ternate level of care;

•Primary care;

•Specialty care and diagnostic

services;•Chronic disease prevention and

management;•Long-term care services; and•Mental health and addictions

services2. Enablers•Health human resources;•eHealth; and

•Integration of services along thecontinuum of care

3. People of Northwestern On-tario

•Aboriginal health services; and•French language health servic-

es“We thank the numerous resi-

dents and health-care professionalsof Northwestern Ontario who met with the LHIN since 2007,” said  Janice Beazley, chair of the NorthWest LHIN board of directors.

“We believe the health system is best shaped by the people who useand work within it,” she noted.

“Their input ensures that our plan will build a better health caresystem over the next three years.”

“The IHSP is the result of effortsof many people, and it will guideour decision-making and fundingdecisions for the next three years,”echoed North West LHIN CEO

Gwen DuBois-Wing.

“It provides overall directionand opportunities for alignment of health services and providers inthe northwest.

“The IHSP is an action plan that the North West LHIN will carryout together with our health-ser-vice providers, partners, and com-munities,” DuBois-Wing added.

Thunder Bay-Superior NorthMPP Michael Gravelle applaudedthe three-year plan.

“Once again, the North West LHIN is taking an innovative andintegrated approach to delivering health-care services to our vast re-gion, reaching out to ensure peoplein all our communities can accessthe health care they need,” hesaid.

“That’s an enormous challenge,  but this plan includes input fromthe people who matter most—the  people of Northwestern Ontario—and also addresses the priorities for health care outlined by the Govern-ment of Ontario,” Gravelle noted.

“Thunder Bay and district con-tinues to see major advancementsin the provision of health-care ser-vices,” said Thunder Bay-AtikokanMPP Bill Mauro.

“This Integrated Health Services

Plan will help guide decision-mak-

ers over the next three years, andreflects the priorities of stakehold-ers in our area,” he remarked.

Each of the 14 LHINs reviewand revise their IHSP every three years to ensure local priorities areon track and reflect the current needs of residents and service pro-viders.

The IHSP was created usinginformation gained from exten-sive engagement. In 2007/08, theLHIN hosted more than 150 ses-sions, including forums, roundtablediscussions, meetings, workshops,and training for some 2,500 par-ticipants.

This activity was doubled in2008/09, with more than 5,435individuals engaged at 331 ses-sions across the northwest.

The largest single engagement initiative was the “Share YourStory, Shape Your Care” project,which collected input from morethan 800 people.

The North West LHIN 2010-13IHSP has 11 priorities for changeto the health-care system in North-western Ontario.

It is available at www.northwestl- hin.on.ca under the IHSP tab.

More from A1

adult (resident) currently costs$424.52 (not including GST).

With a two percent increase, it will cost $433.01 (not includingGST). With GST added, it will cost $454.67.

But after July 1, 2010, it will cost $489.31 because of the HST.

“I just hope people don’t blameus for the HST when they go torent a boat slip and it’s $100 bucksmore than last year,” said Coun.Ryan.

“It’s something we have no con-trol over,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, user fees that willgo up more than two percent area couple related to waste man-agement. This is to make up fordecreasing revenues at the landfilland the increasing cost of recy-cling.

Bag tags will go up from $1.75 to$2 (a 12.5 percent increase) whilethe minimum charge for tipping at the landfill will jump from $15 to$16 (a six percent increase).

Other tipping fees, like the rate per tonne, only will go up two per-cent.

A staunch opponent of bag tagsfrom the start, Coun. Perry saidthat if they are going up in price,it only should be two percent just like everything else.

Operations and Facilities man-ager Doug Brown noted $2 is thesame amount Dryden and Kenora

charges for bag tags.He added there has been a$58,000 increase in operatingcosts for waste management ser-vices this year. And if councildoesn’t want to put it directly onthe taxpayers, it has to be made upthrough user fees.

Brown noted in passing that many municipalities do not givetheir residents a free receptaclelike Fort Frances does.

But Coun. Perry responded that   people are going to recycle moreand more in the future, use com-  posting, and otherwise reducewaste, and so the town has to dosomething if this is going to driveup the price of bag tags.

“We have got to find a way tomake money or sponsor this recy-cling thing,” he stressed.

“To charge the people more and

more money to pick up their gar-  bage isn’t going to do it,” he ar-gued, adding that if the landfill siteneeds to be funded, it should bethrough general taxation and not  bag tags.

Mayor Avis noted the town hasto be cautious with increasing thecost of bag tags, and can’t seecouncil raising the price over $2next year.

He added that increasing the price of bag tags hurts families themost because they’re the ones whouse more than the one free bag thetown allows.

The user fee schedule also willreceive fine-tuning between nowand the Dec. 21 meeting.

Mayor Avis, for instance, hasasked the Administration and Fi-nance executive committee to lookat why photocopier rates are not the same at the town hall, museum,

and library, as well as having sepa-rate rates for low back and high back curbing.

Water and sewer rates for 2010are not a part of the user fee sched-ule and will be discussed separatelyduring the budget process.

Aiden Wielinga eyed up a plate of goodies for sale at the RiversideFoundation for Health Care’s “Bake Sale Extravaganza” fundraiserSunday afternoon at the Little Beaver Snow Park lodge here. Theevent raised about $2,000 for district health care.

—Duane Hicks photo

‘Can we get this, Mom?’

More from A1

think bigger is better, but that’s not necessarily the case,” she noted.

Paul Sunstrum of Canadian Tire here also feels people are shoppinglocally this season.

“Sales have been strong,” he re-marked, noting the store recentlyoffered a 20 times Canadian Tiremoney promotion.

“It was both to encourage salesand thank customers for support-ing us.”

Sunstrum noted it’s always a  busy time of year, and that theyare doing the best they can to keepthe shelves full and to provide agood value for shoppers.

“Fort Frances has everything youneed,” stressed Chamber of Com-merce manager Anthony Mason.

“There really is no need for peopleto be going out of town to do theirChristmas shopping.

“The prices aren’t that muchdifferent, and you spend moneyon gas and usually a hotel,” hereasoned.

He indicated the Chamber is  promoting local shopping through“Shop Local” signs in store win-dows and a draw, in conjunctionwith B•93, for Chamber gift certifi-cates.

“Every dollar spent at home isa dollar used at home,” Masonstressed.

“We want people to shop at   home and support the local busi-nesses so they are here in thefuture,” he added.

Retailers pleased with shopping 

More from A1

14 percent increase over that samespan.

In the revised policy, the benefits  package option will remain statusquo.

Another change is that per diemrates will be increased from $120/full day to $150/full day (five ormore hours) or $74/half-day (lessthan five hours).

Mayor Roy Avis said a change  has to be made to more fairlycompensate councillors who sit onany number of the 30-plus towncommittees.

For example, unless a councilloris retired or independently wealthy,

they often are expected to takeseveral hours—or sometimes evendays—off work to attend meetingsin and out of town.

The per diem should help com-  pensate them for having to misswork, the mayor said.

On the same note, when perdiem rates are applicable will beclarified. Right now, members of council are eligible to get paid for  basically any meeting that takes place out of town.

The revised policy indicates that mayor and council only will get  paid per diems to attend meetingswhen so authorized by a resolutionof council.

These resolutions would comeforward when, for instance, councilstates its intent for mayor and/orcouncillors to attend a certain con-ference, like the multi-day North-western Ontario Municipal Asso-ciation’s annual general meeting,

or appoint one of its members to a body, like the Rainy River District Municipal Association.

Mayor Avis said making thecouncil resolution a per diem stipu-lation not only will clarify when  per diems are to be claimed, but   provides “transparency” to the

 public.The draft policy also clarifies

what is inside and outside North-western Ontario for the purposesof adjusting meal allowances andother expenses.

Sudbury and everything west (including Manitoba) are consid-ered inside while locations east and south of Sudbury are consid-ered outside.

Mayor Avis noted the travel poli-cy is the same for town employeesand members of council.

With regards to the use of townvehicles and personal vehicles, themayor clarified the town van isused for travel most of the time.

If anybody elects to use their ownvehicle, they don’t get paid formileage but strictly for fuel costs.

They also have to sign a waiverregarding using the insurance ontheir own vehicle while on town business.

Committee members also agreedmileage should be aligned withthat paid by the Canada RevenueAgency (as the City of ThunderBay does), and that mileage, food,and other expenses should be re-viewed annually.

The draft policy now will be for-warded to the Administration andFinance executive committee forreview at its Dec. 15 meeting. It,in turn, will make its recommenda-tion to council regarding the policyat a future council meeting.

The remuneration and travel policy committee was struck earli-er this year upon request of MayorAvis.

The committee consisted of Mayor Avis, Couns. John Albanese,Ken Perry, and Rick Wiedenhoeft,clerk Glenn Treftlin, deputy trea-surer Debbie Scofield, and humanresources manager Christine Rup- penstein.

Council eyeing 2% hikefor most user fees in 2010

Pay raise likely for new council next year